Method and burner for burning liquid fuel



April 22 1924.

R. F. METCALFE METHOD AND BURNER FOR BURNING LIQUID FUEL 2 Sheefs-Sheet1 Filed Oct. 2 1922 METHOD AND BURNER FOR BURNING LIQUID FUEL Filed Oct.2 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT F. METCALFE, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, T0 SOCONY BURNER CORPORATION, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A COR-PORATION OF DELAWARE.

Application filed October 2, 1922. Serial No. 591,769.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT F. METGALFE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Methods and Burners for BurningLiquid Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is designed to burn liquid fuels, particularly heavyliquid fuels as may be desirable for ordinary furnace use such asdomestic furnaces. The furnace, however, is applicable to other uses andin carrying out the invention I introduce an at omized fuel in anover-rich mixture to a.

burner chamber preferably somewhat elongated and envelop it with acurrent of air lized to complete the combustion of the mix-' ture.Through this method and arrangement some of the fuel in the over-richmixture vaporizes the balance of the fuel, heats the enveloping air soas to facilitate the combustion, and at the same time the enveloping airinsulates and cools, the burner walls so as to prolong its use. In thisway I am able to get an intense white flame and complete the combustionwithin a very short distance through the discharge of the burner.-Preferably the burner is restricted at the end so as to force acomingling of the enveloping air with the over-rich mixture at thedischarge of the burner. Other features of the invention will appearfrom the specification and claims.

The burner of the invention with which the method is practiced isillustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows Fig. 1 shows acentral section through the 'burner.

Fig. 2 a section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

1 marks the burner chamber. This is provided with a restricted nozzle 2.An ignition cone 3 extends into the burner chamber and an atomizer '4:having a nozzle 6 projects atomized fuel and air into the ignition cone.Fuel is admitted through the fuel passage 5 and air is admitted underpressure through a passage 7 the air jet 8 acting to atomize the fueland to draw the fuel to the atomizer. The atomizer forms no part of thisinvention and any desirable atomizer may be used. The over-richmixopening 13 adjacent to the spark plug and delivers a slightadditional amount of air at this point and thus facilitates ignition.The spark plug is mounted on a plate 14 which is secured to the cone bya screw 15 so that the plug may be readily inspected. The wall of thechamber 1 has a flange 16 near its forward end and an insulating chamber17 surrounds the chamber 1 and is secured to the flange 16 at itsforward end and is provided with a flange 18 at its rear end by means ofwhich the frame 20 of the operating parts in which the passage 10 isarranged may be secured, the frame having a flange 19 to engage theflange 18. 'The spider 11 which carries the cone 3 is clamped inposition between the end of the passage 10 and a shoulder 17' on thewall of-the shaft 24 has an extension 28 which is mounted in bearings 29in the frame. A worm 30 is mounted on the shaft 28 and meshes with aworm gear 31. The worm gear is fixed on a shaft 32 carrying an eccentric33. The eccentric 33 has a strap 34 from which an eccentric rod 35extends to a plunger or piston 36 arranged in a pump cylinder 37. Thepump cylinder has an inlet valve 38 and a discharge valve 39. anddischarges to a receiver 40 which extends over the entire cylinder. Apipe 7 leads to the passage 7 and delivers air under pressure foratomizing purposes to the passage 7. The controlling mechanism for themotor is arranged in a housing 41 on the frame 20.

In order that an drip from the burner which may accumu ate before orafter the closing off of the ignition may be caught and finally consumedI provide a cup 42 immediately below the nozzle 21 which collects anydrip and holds it and when the burner is again started gradually burnsfrom this cup.

By this method and arrangement I am able to vaporize the main body ofthe fuel before it is burned, to heat the air which is used to completecombustion, and insulate the burner parts so that they will stand upunder the intense heat of the burner. At the same time a very simple andrugged construction is provided.

What I claim as new is 1. The method of burning liquid fuel whichconsists in atomizing the fuel, admitting suflicient air to form apreliminary over-rich mixture for partial combustion, igniting saidover-rich mixture, heating the unconsumed fuel in the over-rich mixtureto convert it to a gas, enveloping the overrich preliminary mixture asit burns with the air, confining and advancing the burning mixture andenveloping air while converting the unconsumed fuel in the mixture to agas, and completing the combustion of.

the fuel with the air so advanced.

2. The method of burning liquid fuel which consists in atomizing thefuel, admit ting suflicient air to form a preliminary over-rich mixturefor partial combustion,

' igniting said over-rich mixture and heating the unconsumed fueltherein to convert it to a gas, partially isolating and advancing theover-rich mixture, then enveloping the same with air, advancing the airand burning over-rich mixture while confining the same as the unconsumedfuel in the mixture is converted to a gas, and completing the combustionwith the air so advanced.

3. The method of burning liquid fuel which consists in atomizingthefuel, admitting sufiicient air to form a preliminary over-rich mixturefor partial combustion, igniting said over-rich mixture and heating theunconsumed fuel therein to convert it to a gas, partially isolating andadvancing the over-rich mixture, then enveloping the same with air,advancing the air and burning over-rich mixture while confining the sameas the unconsumed fuel in the mixture is converted to a gas, forcing theenveloping air into ignition relation with the over-rich mixture, andcompleting the combustion of the fuel with said air.

4. The method of burning liquid fuel which consists in atomizing thefuel, admitting sufiicient air to form a preliminary over-rich mixturefor partial combustion, igniting said over-rich mixture and heating theunconsumed fuel therein to convert it to a gas, partially isolating andadvancing the over-rich mixture, then envelopin the same with air,advancing the air and urning over-rich mixture while confining the sameas the unconsumed fuel in the mixture is converted to a gas, forcing theenvelopin air into ignition relation with the over-ric mixture yrestricting it and completing the combustion of the fuel .with said air.

5. In a liquid fuel burner, the combination of a combustion chamber; aliquid fuel atomizer discharging to the combustion chamber and formingan over-rich mixture means igniting said over-rich mixture; and meansfor dehverin an envelo ing current of air within the chamber an aroundthe burning over-rich mixture, the chamber,

atomizer and means being related to convert the unconsumed fuel of theover-rich mixture to a gas within the chamber and to burn the gas withthe enveloping air as it is discharged from the chamber.

6. In aliquid fuel burner, the combination of a combustion chamber; aliquid fuel atomizer discharging to the chamber; a cup surrounding theatomizer and leaving an opening between the cup and the chamber wall;means igniting the over-rich mixture; and means for delivering anenveloping current of air through the opening between the cup andchamber wall, the chamber atomizer and means being related to convertthe unconsumed fuel of the over-rich mixture to a gas within the chamberand to burn the gas with the enveloping air as it is discharged from thechamber.

7. In a liquid fuel burner, the combina tion of a combustion chamber; aliquid fuel atomizer discharging to the chamber; a cone-shaped cupsurrounding the atomizer and leaving an opening between the cup and thechamber wall; means igniting the over-rich mixture; and means fordelivering an enveloping current of air through the opening between thecup and chamber wall, the chamber, atomizer and means being related toconvert the unconsumed fuel of the over-rich mixture to a gas within thechamber and to burn the gas with the enveloping air as it is dischargedfrom the chamber.

8. In a liquid fuel burner, the combination of a combustion chamberhaving a restricted discharge nozzle; a liquid fuel atomizer dischargingto the combustion chamber and formin an over-rich mixture; meansigniting said over-rich mixture; and means for dehvering an envelopingcurrent of air within the chamber and around the burning over-richmixture, the chamber, atomizer and means being related to convert theunconsumed fuel of the over-rich mixture to a gas within the chamber andto burn the gas with the enveloping air as it is discharged from thechamber.

9. In a liquid fuel burner, the combination of a combustion chamberhavin a restricted discharge nozzle; a liquid fue atomizer dischargingto the chamber; a cup surrounding the atomizer and leaving an openingbetween the cup and the chamber wall; means igniting the over-richmixture; and means for delivering an enveloping current of air throughthe opening between the cup and chamber wall, the chamber, atomizer andmeans being related to convert the unconsumed fuel of the over-richmixture to a gas within the chamber and to burn the gas with theenveloping air as it is discharged from the chamber.

10. In a liquid fuel burner, the combination of a combustion chamber; aliquid fuel atomizer discharging to the combustion chamber and formingan over-rich mixture; means igniting said over-rich mixture; means fordelivering an enveloping current of air within the chamber and aroundthe burning over-rich mixture; and an insulating chamber communicatingwith and surrounding the combustion chamber.

11. In a liquid fuel burner, the combination of a combustion chamber; aliquid fuel atomizer discharging tor the combustion chamber and formingan over-rich mixture; a cup extending around the atomizer; a spark lugextending into the cup; and means or delivering an enveloping current ofair around the cup and within the walls of the chamber, the chamber,atomizer and means being related to convert the unconsumed fuel of theover-rich mixture to a gas within the chamberv and to burn the gas withthe enveloping air as it is discharged from the chamber.

12. In a liquid fuel burner, the combination of a combustion chamber; aliquid fuel atomizer discharging to the combustion chamber and formingan over-rich mixture; a cup extending around the atomizer; a spark plugextending into the cup; and means for delivering an enveloping currentof air around the cup and within the walls of the chamber, said cuphaving an opening adjacent to the spark plug and delivering air to thecup adjacent to the plug.

13. In a liquid fuel burner, the combination of a combustion chamber; afuel atomizer discharging to the chamber; a nozzle at the end of thechamber; and a drip cup adapted to receive any drippings from the nozzleand to burn the same at the nozzle.

14. In a liquid fuel burner, the combination of a combustion chamberhaving a restricted nozzle at its discharge end and a flange adjacent tothe rear of the nozzle, a case around the chamber secured to the flange;a liquid fuel jet discharging into the chamber; a cup extending aroundthe jet and forwardly, said cup leaving an opening between it and thecombustion chamber; means for delivering air around the cup to thecombustion chamber; a frame secured to the rear end of the case; andmeans carried by the frame for delivering combustion air and atomizingair to the burner.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT F. METCALFE.

